Means for the dispersal of fluff or lint from knitting machines



Aug. 12, 1958 P A. SHORTLAND 2,846,360

MEANS FOR THE DISPERSAL OF FLUFF 0R LINT FROM KNITTING MACHINES Fi1 ed Sept. 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 12, 1958 A. SHORTLAND 2,845,860

MEANS FOR THE DISPERSAL 0F FLUFF OR LINT FROM KNITTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent MEANS FOR THE DISPERSAL OF FLUFF OR LINT FROM KNITTING MACHINES Arthur Shortland, Leicester, England, assignor to Mellor Bromley & Co. Limited, Leicester, England, a British company Application September 10, 1956, Serial No. 608,740

Claims priority, application Great Britain September 19, 1955 13 Claims. 01. 66-168) This invention appertains to knitting machines generally, and has reference particularly to means for keeping appropriate parts of such machines free from, or at any rate minimising collections thereon of, flufi or lint.

Although the invention is, broadly speaking, applicable to circular, fiat and straight-bar knitting machines of all types, it is principally the intention to apply it to multifeeder circular body machines. Circular body machines are nowadays usually of the cylinder and dial type. In this regard, moreover, the invention may advantageously be applied to circular knitting machines of the rotary needle cylinder type in which the cam boxes and the overhead bobbin structures are stationary, although there is,

no limitation in this respect.

In the operation of a knitting machine, fluff or lint collects on the same as the result of friction on the knitting yarns or threads. Thus, for instance, in the case of a circular knitting machine, such collections of fluff or lint take place around the yarn or thread guides or feeder plates at the feeders, and on, say, bed plates, cylinders, dial cam caps, cam boxes, needles and overhead bobbin structures including feed wheels and stop motions, and so on, depending on the type of machine concerned. This is a well recognized problem, as, without the provision therein of some means to disperse the fluif or lint, a knitting machine requires to be regularly and frequently cleaned by hand.

Attempts have heretofore been made to effect dispersal of fiuif or lint while a knitting machine is in operation, with the aim of preventing as much of it as possible from settling upon the machine and thereby minimising cleaning time. For example, it has been proposed to convey compressed air from a supply through a series of individual pipes or tubes so disposed as to direct jets of air at individual components from which fiufi or lint is to be blown.

Previously, however, the compressed air has been supplied at a high pressure from a compressor remote from the machine via an air line. A disadvantage of this system arises from the fact that compressed air at high pressure contains a substantial amount of moisture. Thus, to minimise the moisture content of the air it is necessary to provide some means, such as a condenser or like air conditioning unit otherwise moisture tends to be deposited upon metal parts and so causes them to rust. Quite apart from this, jets of air at a high pressure tend not only to disturb delicate elements, such as needle latches but also to blow on yarns or threads with a force suflicient to displace them from their normal line of travel.

The object of the present invention is to provide, in a knitting machine, generally improved, self-contained and efiicient means for dispersing fluif or lint in a manner overcoming the aforementioned disadvantages.

According to this invention there is mounted on a knitting machine an air-compressor which is adapted to be driven when said machine is running and is designed to supply compressed air at a comparatively. low pressure,

2,846,866 Patented Aug. 12, 1958 ice requiring to be kept clean, i. e. substantially free from.

fluff or lint.

Although it is preferred to equip the knitting machine with a compressor designed to supply air at a low pressure of anything from, say, approximately three to six or seven pounds per square inch, it is to be understood that the expression comparative low pressure includes any appropriate higher pressure at which the moisture content of the air is sufiiciently low for the purpose in view and the force of the jet or jets is insufiicient to disturb yarns or threads and delicate elements as aforesaid.

The air compressor may be of any suitable type, and may be mounted on any convenient existing part of the knitting machine, or upon a specially provided bracket or support aiiixed to the machine framing, the idea in either event being that the said compressor constitutes an actual part of the equipment on, and is not remote from, the machine.

The aforementioned conduit means for the transmission of the compressed air at low pressure may advantageously have associated therewith a movable nozzle which can be manually manipulated at the will of the attendant of the machine for blowing fluff or lint off any appropriate parts of the latter. Alternatively, or in addition, the conduit means may include fixed tubes or pipes so disposed as to direct stationary jets of air at individual components from which fluff or lint is to be blown.

Again, in the ease of a circular knitting machine, the conduit means may be combined with a rotary device which is adapted to be driven from a part of or on the knitting machine and is furnished with a nozzle or nozzles directed at relatively stationary parts to be kept free from fluff or lint.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect, a specific arrangement, applied to a multi-feeder circular body machine of the cylinder and dial type, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein, Figure l is an elevational view of so much of such machine as is necessary to illustrate the application thereto of an air compressor and associated air conduit and distributing means,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a tubular compressed air receiver and dispenser which is incorporated in the arrangement for directing jets of fluff-dispersing air at or in the vicinity of the feeders of the machine, and

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the rotary air-distributing component with which the machine is equipped for preventing fiulf or lint settling upon'tension controlling arms, stop motion devices and the like high up on the machine.

' Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

I In Figure 1, it will be seen that the conventional knitting head of the machine, mounted upon the customary top plate 2, comprises a rotary needle cylinder 3, a stationary cylinder cam box 4, a rotary needle dial 5 and a superposed stationary dial camplate 6. Upon the said camplate 6 are mounted feeder plates PP and associated yarn guides G. The bottom plate of the machine is indicated at 7. The cylinder 3 is driven from an electric motor 8 through the medium of a main shaft 9, intermeshing bevel gears 10 and 11, a vertical drive shaft 12, a spur pinion 13 secured to this shaft and a cylinder driving gear 14 which is arranged to mesh with the said pinion and is rotatable together with the cylinder 3. Accordingly, a portion of the needle cylinder 3 is arranged to revolve within the top plate 2. The dial 5 is carried by a centre shaft which is located in a housing 16 and is adapted to be driven from the cylinder driving gear 14, through the medium of suitable gearing including a dial driving or top gear 17 housed in a casing 18, and also a vertical side shaft 19 located in a hollow upright column 20. At the lower end of the side shaft 19 is a pinion (not shown) meshing with the gear 14, whilst another pinion 21 secured upon the the upper end of the said shaft is arranged in mesh with the dial driving gear 17. The housing in is constituted by a centre boss of cross arms or a spider serving to support the centre stem 6a of the dial camplate 6.

The conventional bottom gear of the machine, serving to drive the rotary carrier plate for the fabric winding down or take-up mechanism (not shown), is indicated at 22. The said bottom gear is driven by a spur pinion 23 secured to the lower end of an extension 12a of the drive shaft 12.

The casing 18 serving to house the dial driving gear 17 is provided with a central boss 18a which is bored to receive a vertical column or rod 25 upon which is secured a bobbin support 26. Upon the upper end of the rod 25 is secured an annular carrier 24 for a circular series of tension controlling arms 27 and stop motion devices 28.

In accordance with the present invention there is mounted on, and adapted to be driven from, the illustrated circular knitting machine, a rotary air compressor 29 designed to supply compressed air at a comparatively low pressure. Conveniently, the compressor 29 may be of the vane type comprising a casing 2911 within which is mounted an eccentrically located rotor furnished with centrifugally influenced and radially slidable vanes. As will be seen in Figure l, the compressor casing 29a is flanged at 2% to enable it to be bolted to a bracket 30 secured upon the top of the bottom plate 7.

The compressor may advantageously be arranged to be driven from an existing rotating gear in the machine. Thus, in the illustrated example, the lower end of the rotor spindle extends through a bearing housing 31 integral with the underside of the compressor casing 29a and has secured thereto a driving pinion 32 arranged to be driven from the bottom gear 22, preferably through the medium of an intermediate gear or pinion (not shown).

Alternatively, the compressor may be driven at the desired speed, if necessary through the medium of suitable gearing, from the shaft of the electric motor serving to drive the knitting machine. In any case a feature of the invention is that the compressor (and hence also the blast or blasts of flufl or lint dispersing air) is automatically started up and stopped with the machine.

The illustrated flufl? or lint dispersing arrangement includes a tubular component 33 constituting both a receiver and a dispenser of compressed air, and this component is adapted to be connected, by means of a flexible air line 34, with the output side 35 of the compressor 29 and has extending therefrom tubes 36 fitted with nozzles 36a (Figure 2) for directing jets or fluffdispersing air at the relevant locations, e. g. the feeders.

If desired, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the flexible air line 34 from the compressor 29 may be fitted with a manually manipulated nozzle such as 37 adapted, when required, to be inserted or plugged into the tubular air-receiving and distributing component 33. In this case, therefore, fluff or lint can, as occasion demands, be blown ofif parts of the machine by means of the nozzle 37 at the will of the attendant, or, by inserting or plugging the said nozzle into the tubular component 33, stationary jets can be directed upon desired parts.

As depicted more clearly in Figure 2 the tubular component 33 is of endless circular form, although it has formed in the outer side of its wall an aperture communicating with a short open-ended tube 38. This tube,

which is rigidly secured to, and extends radially outwards from, the component 33 is accordingly in the nature of a socket into which the hand nozzle 37 can be plugged. As will be appreciated, whenever the nozzle is plugged into the outer end of the tube 38 and the machine is running, compressed air will pass into and around the component 33 and will issue from the latterthrough the tubes 36 and nozzles 36ain the form of jets. As shown in Figure 1, the tubular component 33 is secured by clips 39 beneath the cross arms or spider 16a and is disposed concentrically with respect to the central axis a of the machine, above and clear of the feeders (including the feeder plates FP). In the underside of the component 33 are formed spaced holes from which depend nipples 33a. The tubes 36, which are short and flexible and made of a rubber-like plastic material, are applied at their upper ends to the nipples 33a, whilst the nozzles 36a are fitted to the lower ends of the said tubes. The nozzles may conveniently be arranged to direct jets of air upon the back of the feeders.

Instead of being wholly of circular form, the air receivers and distributing tubular component 33 may be part-circular, being closed at one end and initially open at the other, in which instance the necessity for a tube such as 38 would be dispensed with, and the hand nozzle 37 would be plugged directly into the initially open end of the component.

The device just described has for its aim to prevent fluff or lint settling upon the various components at or in the vicinity of the feeders. However, fluff or lint also collects higher up, above the knitting head of the machine, on the tension controlling arm-s 27, the stop motion devices 28, feed wheels or the like. Accordingly, fluff or lint at this higher region can, if desired, also be dispersed by either jets of air issuing from appro priately directed stationary nozzles, or by a jet of air issuing from a rotating nozzle, the air in either case being derived from the same compressor 29.

Thus, in the specific example illustrated, there is rigidly secured to the upper portion of the vertical column or rod 25, at a location immediately below the tension controlling arms 27 and stop motion devices 28, the inner part of a second air receiving and distributing device indicated generally by the reference numeral 40. This inner part comprises, as illustrated in Figure 3, a central boss 41 from which radiate arms 42 supporting an integral annularly recessed circular rim 43. The annular recess is indicated at 44 and, as will be seen in Figure 1, the back of this recess is placed in communication with the upper open end of a depending pipe 45 which is connected, by means of a flexible air line 46, with a vertically disposed branch pipe 47 extending from the aforementioned radially disposed tube 38 secured to the tubular component 33. Accordingly, air derived from the compressor 29 will feed both into the interior of the tubular component 33 and also into the recess 44 of the inner fixed part of the air receiving and distributing device 40. The outer side of the recess 44 is closed to provide an annular chamber by an appropriately flanged part 48 which surrounds and is rotatable about the inner fixed part. Secured in the rotatable part 48 is a single nozzle 49 which has an upturned outer end and is arranged to communicate at its inner end with the recess 44. The inner side of the part 48 is inwardly flanged at 48a, the flange being formed with a circular series of gear teeth arranged in mesh with a driving pinion 50. This pinion is secured to the upper end of a flexible shaft 51 the lower end of which is furnished with a further pinion 52 arranged to be driven from the dial driving gear 17 (see Figure 1). To the underside of the circular rim 43 is attached a small bracket 53 which, as clearly shown in Figure 3, is formed with a bearing 54 for the flexible shaft 51.

If desired, the herein described means for dispersing fluff or lint from a knitting machine may be combined with the automatic lubricating arrangement disclosed in the specification of my co-pending U. S. Application No. 578,517, filed April 16, 1956, in which instance, the compressor for supplying the fiuif or lint-dispersing air would be the same as that used for supplying the air for effecting atomisation of the liquid lubricant.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine of the cylinder and dial type, in combination, a top plate supporting a knitting head having parts requiring to be kept substantially free from flulf, a bottom plate spaced beneath said top plate for supporting fabric winding-down mechanism, a bracket mounted upon said bottom plate, an air compressor which is secured to said bracket and is adapted to supply compressed air at a low pressure,

means driving the machine, means driving the compressor when the machine is driven, and, connected with the output side of said compressor, conduit means for the transmission of the compressed air to a location from which it is directed in the form of at least one jet at the aforementioned parts.

2. In a circular knitting machine of the cylinder and dial type, in combination, a top plate supporting a knitting head having parts requiring to be kept substantially free from fluif, a bottom plate spaced beneath said top plate for supporting fabric winding-down mechanism, a bracket mounted upon said bottom plate, an air compressor which is secured to said bracket and is adapted to supply compressed air at a low pressure, means driving the machine, a gear driven from said drive means and serving to revolve the fabric winding-down mechanism, means driven from said gear and driving the air compressor, and, connected with the output side of said compressor, conduit means for the transmission of the compressed air to a location from which it is directed in the form of at least one jet blowing fiufl from the aforementioned parts.

3. In a power-driven knitting machine having parts requiring to be kept substantially free from fluff, apparatus for dispersing fluif comprising, in combination, an air compressor which is mounted on said machine and is adapted to supply compressed air at a low pressure, means driven from the machine drive and in turn driving the compressor, a fixed tubular component constituting both a receiver and a distributor of compressed air, an air line connecting said tubular component with the output side of said compressor, and tubes which extend from the tubular component and are provided with nozzles from which issue stationary jets of air blowing fluff away from the parts concerned.

4. In a power-driven knitting machine having parts requiring to be kept substantially free from flufl, apparatus for dispersing fluff comprising, in combination, an air compressor which is mounted on said machine and is adapted to supply compressed air at a low pressure, means driven from the machine drive and in turn driving the compressor, a fixed tubular component constituting both a receiver and a distributor of compressed air, tubes which extend from said tubular component and are directed at the aforesaid parts to be kept substantially free from fluff, a flexible air line extending from the output side of said compressor and a manually manipulable nozzle which is secured to the outer end of said air line and is adapted to be inserted into the said tubular air-receiving and distributing component whereby fluff can be blown ofl the parts concerned sometimes by means of the manually manipulable nozzle at the will of the attendant of the machine, and at other times, and as a consequence of inserting the manually manipulable nozzle into the fixed tubular component, by means of stationary jets of air issuing from the aforementioned tubes.

5. In a power-driven circular knitting machine having parts requiring to be kept substantially free from flutf,

in combination, an air compressor which is mounted on said machine and is adapted to supply compressed air at a low pressure, means driving the machine, means driven from the machine drive and in turn driving the compressor, a tubular component of circular form constituting both a receiver and a distributor of compressed air, said component being disposed concentrically with respect to the central axis of the machine, tubes which extend from the said tubular component and are provided with nozzles directed at the parts to be kept substantially free from fluff, and an air line connecting the tubular component with the output side of the compressor.

6. A combination according to claim 5, wherein the tubes are flexible.

7. In a circular knitting machine of the cylinder and dial type, in combination, a rotary needle cylinder, a stationary cam box surrounding said cylinder, a plate supporting said cam box, a rotary needle dial, a stationary dial cam cap having a centre stern, radial arms which are supported from the said plate and serve to carry the centre stern, an air compressor which is mounted on said machine and is adapted to supply compressed air at a low pressure, means driving the machine, means driven from the machine drive and in turn driving the compressor, a tubular component of circular form constituting both a receiver and a distributor of compressed air, said component being disposed concentrically with respect to the central axis of the machine, clips securing the tubular component beneath the aforesaid radial arms, tubes which extend from the said tubular component and have nozzles directed at parts of the machine to be kept substantially free from fluff, and an air line connecting the tubular component with the output side of the compressor.

8. In a power-driven knitting machine having parts requiring to be kept substantially free from fluff, apparatus for dispersing fluff comprising, in combination, an air compressor which is mounted on said machine and is adapted to supply compressed air at a low pressure, means driven from the machine drive and in turn driving the compressor, a rotary air-receiving and distributing device, means transmitting a drive to said device from a driven part of the machine, at least one nozzle which is fitted to the said rotary device and is directed at relatively stationary parts from which fluff is to be blown, and air conduit means connecting said rotary device with the output side of said compressor.

9. In a power-driven circular knitting machine, in combination, a knitting head, yarn guiding and controlling means located above said knitting head, an air compressor mounted on said machine and adapted to supply compressed air at a low pressure, means driving the machine, means driven from the machine drive and in turn driving the compressor, a rotary air-receiving and distributing device, at least one nozzle which is fitted to said rotary device and is directed at the aforesaid yarn guiding and controlling means, means transmitting a drive to said rotary device from a driven part of the machine, and an air conduit means connecting said rotary device with the output side of said compressor.

10. A combination according to claim 9, wherein the rotary device is arranged to revolve about a fixed annular part which is recessed to receive compressed air.

11. In a power-driven circular knitting machine, in combination, a knitting head including a rotary needle cylinder equipped with needles, feeders supplying yarn to said needles, yarn guiding and controlling means located above the knitting head, an air compressor mounted on said machine and adapted to supply compressed air at a low pressure, means driving the machine, means driven from the machine drive and in turn driving the compressor, a fixed tubular component of circular form constituting both a receiver and a distributor of compressed air, said component being disposed concentrically with respect to the central axis of the machine, tubes which extend from said fixed tubular component and are provided with nozzles directed at the yarn supplying feeders, an air line connecting the tubular component with the output side of the compressor, a rotary air-receiving device fitted With a nozzle directed at the yarn guiding and controlling means above the knitting head, means transmitting a drive to said rotary device from a driven part of the machine, and air conduit means connecting said rotary device with the fixed tubular component.

12. A combination according to claim 11, wherein a flexible air line extending from the compressor is fitted with a manually manipulated nozzle adapted, at required times, to be inserted into the fixed tubular air-receiving and distributing component.

13. In a circular knitting machine of the cylinder and dial type, in combination, a rotary needle cylinder, a stationary cam box surrounding said cylinder, feeders supplying yarn to needles in said cylinder, at top plate supporting said cam box, a rotary needle dial, a stationary dial cam plate having a centre stern, radial arms which are supported from said top plate and serve to carry the centre stem, a bottom plate spaced beneath said top plate for supporting fabric winding-down mechanism, a bracket mounted upon said bottom plate, an air compressor which is secured to said bracket and is adapted to supply compressed air at a low pressure, means including a driven main shaft and rotating gears driving the machine, gearing driven from the machine drive and in turn driving the compressor, a tubular component of circular form constituting both a receiver and a distributor of compressed air, said component being concentric with respect to the central axis of the machine, clips securing the tubular component beneath the aforesaid radial arms, tubes which extend from the tubular component and have nozzles directed at the yarn supplying feeders, an air line connecting the tubular component With the output side of said compressor, a vertical column supported by the radial arms, yarn guiding and controlling means carried by the said column and located above the rotary needle cylinder and dial, a rotary air-dispensing device furnished with a nozzle directed towards said yarn guiding and controlling means, an annular part which is fixed to said vertical column and constitutes a carrier for said rotary air-dispensing device, said annular part being peripherally recessed to receive compressed air, an air line connecting said recessed annular part with the tubular component, and means transmitting a drive to said rotary air-dispensing device from one of the aforementioned rotating gears.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,357,714 Vossen et al Sept. 5, 1944 2,620,642 Hoyt Dec. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 702,987- Great Britain Jan. 27, 1954 1,023,846 France Jan. 7, 1953 

